Xinhua News Agency said suspects sold meat that had been injected with water to increase its weight, or sold rat and fox flesh as mutton.

It said a total of 382 cases were uncovered and 20,000 tons of unsafe meat seized from January.

China's past food safety problems have included infant formula consisting of nothing more than starch and the recycling of household waste as cooking oil.

Earlier, the newspaper "Express K" reported citing the representative of "Halal industry in Kazakhstan" Gulzhazira Nuralbaeva that China imports pork under the guise of beef.

"We have information that Kazakhstan is imported such meat from China. It has not any difference from the real beef in taste and color. The only thing that might help is a thorough genetic expertise," Gulzhazira Nuralbaeva said.